Dan Hauk

Author: Dan

  • Learning from junior designers

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    I’ve been doing this product design thing a long time — before there was much of a distinction between UX and UI in job postings. My first foray into what would come to be known as product design was being hired as a “web designer” for an email marketing SaaS application. Throughout much of my…

  • Book Club

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    I started a book club with the design team. Today was our first meeting, deep diving into the first couple chapters of Just Enough Research by Erika Hall. 30 minutes of amazing discussion with incredibly thoughtful colleagues talking about user research. We talked about everything from how to do more research, how we can overcome…

  • The next chapter

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    Today was the first day of a new chapter. After almost 8 years at Automattic, and after a lot of tough decisions and consideration, I’ve moved on to my next adventure with Bestow Life Insurance as their newest Senior Product Designer. It’s very bittersweet as Automattic has been like extended family, but I’m excited to…

  • Seeking a broader perspective in design

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    For the past couple months a team of designers has been neck deep in user research and exercises designed to help us absorb and synthesize everything we’ve learned. We started from curiosity: how can we better solve the problems small business owners are facing? We got the chance to talk with over 30 small business…

  • Scaling vertically

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    When I think about personal growth I typically think of horizontal growth. That is, adding as many skills, knowledge, and pieces to the puzzle as possible. And I love learning new things a lot. It helps when I have trouble sitting still or not doing anything that feels productive, which is quite often. A jack…

  • Finding inspiration in the mundane

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    A few years ago I hit a creative block. Now, I know this is nothing new. Whether it’s a short block specific to a project or a longer period of burnout, everyone has those times where they’re feeling uninspired. I’ve certainly had my share of times where I felt it since then, but this particular…

  • Keeping product assumptions in check

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    Assumptions can be difficult to overcome. Many times we don’t even realize we’re making them. As an experienced product designer, I find it easier to make these assumptions. They more easily creep into my work subconsciously because I have more knowledge and experience of “best practices” and “what worked before”. So how can we keep…

  • Sending the right message with form validation

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    Error messages. Those little things everyone hates to see. As designers, we like to design the best possible experience for getting users through the task at hand. But it’s our job to put as much consideration into error states as we do the success flow. Any error messages we show to users should provide helpful…

  • Don’t forget the emails

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    Emails help to create a cohesive experience from start to finish. It reduces cognitive overhead and friction. It shows you put a lot of thought into every aspect of your product. Have you ever signed up for a new site or product, forgotten about it, only to remember later when you check your inbox and…

  • Automattic Grand Meetup 2016

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    Last week, 467 developers, designers, and happiness engineers descended upon Whistler, Canada. Every Automattician that could make it joined together near Vancouver for the eleventh annual Automattic Grand Meetup. The 2-hour drive from Vancouver airport to Whistler Village was beautiful. We traveled up the coast through winding roads, sandwiched between gorgeous Pacific Ocean and mountain…